You Love Me 'Cause I Hate You
by lexieconextreme
Summary: It's the night of the escape from the Casino, the night Batman arrests Harley Quinn and hands her over to Waller. The Joker has left Harley, though she refuses to accept it. It's up to Bruce and Harleen (yeah, she's still kicking - in Harley's head) to convince Harley that the Clown Prince of Crime isn't coming back for her.


**_Disclaimer: I do not own Suicide Squad or either of the characters within._**

 ** _Another Disclaimer: I don't own the title, that honor belongs to a band called Lacuna Coil from their newest album "Delirium"._**

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 _ **Harley's POV**_

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For the first time since meeting Mr. J, I was scared. We had just stolen the fancy car from the Casino when the Bat descended on us. _The Batman_ , I thought savagely. _Why does he always come after us? We're not doing anything! We just take advantage of the resources around us! But he comes anyway! Well...I suppose Mr. J did kill that man. But he deserved it! He didn't want me! And my puddin' made him pay!_

I was too distracted. The Bat landed on top of the really nice car. _I wish he wouldn't ruin the car, at least. We stole it fair-and-square!_ I shouted something along the lines of "Floor it, puddin'!" I was laughing as I pulled out the fancy gun my puddin' had made for me and pulled the trigger, not really aiming, but pointing it where I thought the Bat might be. If the Bat was going to ruin the car for us, then I might as well destroy it before he can. My pleasure. NOT HIS.

But the Bat did something. The car swerved. My puddin' had floored it like I asked, but the car was going too fast. The car kept moving even though Mr. J wasn't controlling it. I screamed as the car went over the edge and the windshield shattered. I couldn't breathe.

When the bubbles and most of the glass had cleared away and I could see, the Bat floated right in front of me. I looked towards where Mr. J had been a moment before. He wasn't there. Had the Bat already taken him up? I turned towards him and and snarled. He punched me. _Geez,_ I thought. _Does he not know how to treat a lady?_

The Bat pulled me above water and onto the street. When I didn't move, he laid me down on a nearby car, pressing two fingers to my neck. I guess he didn't feel my pulse, because the next thing I knew he pressed his mouth to mine and forced air into my lungs. While I really enjoyed both the kiss and the help breathing, I decided this needed to end. So I kissed him back. I figured that was probably the easiest way to get him off quickly.

It worked.

He pulled back and I smiled. "Thanks Bats-y! I really appreciate a kiss from such a _nice_ guy like you!" I giggled. I could have sworn I saw a blush on his lower cheekbones. Good. That'll teach him to kiss ladies when they're asleep. Or pretending to be so. "Hey Bats! Where's my Mr. J? Did you not bring him up?" He didn't look at me. He turned me around, pulling my arms to my front and snapping a pair of his handy Bat-Cuffs on my wrists. "He left you, Harley." I shook my head. "No, he didn't. No, he wouldn't leave me _behind_!"

"Then where is he, Harley? You saw. The Joker wasn't in the water, and I didn't bring him up! So where did he go? Face it, Harley. _Mr. J left you!_ Look around, Harley. Do you see him? Do you see any of his goons?"

"Our goons," I choked softly. "What?" "OUR goons!" I yelled, tears muffling my voice. "Our goons! He wouldn't leave me behind because he LOVES ME! He made me! Why else would he have come back? He came back to get me from the acid wash! My puddin' loves me and you can't say anything to tell me otherwise! He's going to come and rescue me! He will! He's never left me behind!" I desperately tried to tell him. My puddin' wouldn't leave me behind. We're the King and Queen of Gotham. Everybody says so. Why didn't Batman get it?

He wouldn't, would he? Everyone is always leavin' him. He has a new Boy Wonder every other week. The Batman won't understand. Mr J will always come back for me. He loves me. He has to. Right? He will come back, won't he?

 _Are you sure, Harley?_ It was Harleen. Stupid Harleen. Always in my head and talkin' exactly whenever I didn't want her to. _Are you absolutely certain the Joker didn't leave you behind? Because if you aren't, then what are you going to do? You can't be Harley Quinn without Him. You are only Harley Quinn, because the Joker decided you should be. Think about it. What would have happened if the Joker had decided not to rescue you, that day of your Acid Bath? You would have died. He took an awfully long time to come get you, didn't he? Why? Do you think he tried to-_ "To what," I snapped. I could feel Batman looking at me, but I ignored him."To walk away? Even if he did try to walk away, he came back! He came back for me! Like he will now!"

The Bat walked closer to me. "Harley, who are you talking to? There's no one here but me." I looked up and glared at him. I hadn't realized I'd fallen to my knees. "Yes, there is! There is someone here! Inside!" I pointed to my head. He stared at me, nonplussed. "Who?"

"Harleen," I hissed. "She's still here. Inside my head. Trying to tell me he's gone. But he isn't GONE! I know he isn't." Batman shook his head. "Harley, he's long gone." "No, he ISN'T! STOP SAYING THAT," I shriek. At both him, and Harleen. Because they shouldn't talk about my puddin' like that. But he holds out his hand. In it, is what looks like a walky-talky. I stare up at him. "What is that?" I ask. He replies, "Proof. That's he's gone."

With shaking hands and clattering Bat-Cuffs, I reach up and take the radio. I press the button that will allow me to know for sure. Because the Bat is still looking at sadly, and Harleen is screaming at me inside my head.

The voice on the radio says "All officers, available or not, get the hell to East Gotham Airport. The Joker is here and is on a spree. So far, 34 counted dead, 23 injured. All officers report to East Gotham Airport! Immediately!" A hand enters my narrowing vision and takes the radio before I drop it. Good thing, too. That thing looks expensive, and I can't feel my hands. My head hurts, even though Harleen stopped talking to listen to the radio with me.

In my head, Harleen takes a breath and says softly _Do you believe me now, Harley? He's gone. And he isn't coming back. Not for you. Not for anything._

I see the Bat watching me, and I give a watery smile. "Don't worry, Bats. You can take me wherever you like. I'm going to cry now." I did just that, and I felt his arms wrap around me and he put me into the prisoner's quarters in his precious- yet really cool- car.

Could Mr. J really have abandoned me? Could he really leave me to shoot up some airport. _He must be shootin' up the airport so he can escape._ I think to myself. Of course, I'm not alone, so Harleen decides to bring her contribution to the peanut gallery. _Of course he is._ She says. _What else would he be doing it for? Certainly not you. The minute it looked like Batman was going to win, he jumped ship and left you to deal with the consequences._ I had to admit she was right.

Soon, the Bat's car stopped. The lid of the trunk opened and light was admitted to my small area. I had stopped crying a while ago, thank God. I didn't want my makeup smeared more than it already was. I smiled up at Bat-sy. His eyes narrowed beneath the mask, and he seemed extra cautious as he undid the straps tying me to the chair. I huffed. "Oh please. You're going to be fine. I'm not going to try anything, I promise." I smiled again. He did seem to relax. Just a little. Oh, alright. Not at all. But still. He wasn't frowning. That's good, right?

There were people waiting at the front of a building nearby. A lot of them had really big guns. I was more than a little jealous. But I remembered my promise to Batman. I wouldn't try anything. For now. "So. I guess I get to take a tour of a really nice, super beefed-up super-max prison with these guys, right?" I ask as we walk towards the building. The Bat nodded silently. I do too, then stop walking. The guys with the guns remind me why they're there, and point them at me. Batman steps between me and the guns. He stares at me. "Harley?..."

"Sorry. I- I just." I stop. "He's really gone, isn't he? He isn't coming back for me?" I look away, biting back tears. "Yeah, Harley. He isn't coming back."

"I thought so. I was just making sure." I look up at the Bat. Geez. He's gotta be two feet taller than me! "I won't go back to him, you know. Even if he does come back, for whatever reason, or even if it's just an accident, I won't go back to him. I promise." I was startled to realize he was smiling softly, if sadly. "What? Bat-sy, are you smiling? Why?" I was too surprised for much else. In my entire career of vexing this man, I have never seen him smile. Much less at me. "Why are you smiling?"

He looks at me. "You don't remember, do you? Every time he leaves, you say that. Every time you believe he's gone for good, he comes back. And you go with him. Believing it won't end this way. Every time I hand you over to the police, you tell me "I won't go back to him", and every single time, you go back. The same way you will this time."

I think this over. I think I remember this. But not really. It's all foggy. Even so. "This time I mean it," I tell him firmly. "I won't go back to being Harleen Quinzel, but I won't go back to him either." I walk around him and flounce up to the nearest guard. "Howdy, boys! How about we get this show on the road!" I turn and wave at the Bat. "Bye-Bye Batsy!"

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 **Batman's POV**

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I watch her go. Full of confidence. Just like every time I hand her over to the police. I know the minute he comes for her, she'll go with him. Every time. And Harley and I will be left to repeat the dance over again. Like it's been for years. I wonder if she realizes she tells me "I mean it this time" every time.

Oh, he'll come for her. Once he even realizes she's gone, he'll come. And brainwash her again and again until she forgets that he abandoned her. Again.

 _ **The End**_

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 _ **A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for reading this! I know the characters aren't quite right, and I'm sorry. I based this off what I vaguely remembered from the movie.**_

 _ **Remember kids! Harley Quinn is not a role model! As my stair-dad so helpfully reminded me before I watched the movie.**_

 _ **Anyway, thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed. Tell me if there are any typos, because I hate those.**_

 _ **Don't those favorite and follow buttons look a little lonely? Give 'em some love for me?**_

 ** _Reviews are nice, too. If you want to see a sequel, please. Send me some ideas._**

 ** _BYE! ;3_**


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